Water injection
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Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

75 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
Just wondered why production manufacturers don't use this on modern turbo engines. I understand SAAB back in the days, water injection was offered on the turbo.

I know Vernon Kay, ran a menthol injection on his S-Type R, but you never hear on any main stream manufacturers running the set ups.


The Jolly Todger

2,744 posts

201 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
The Spruce goose said:
Just wondered why production manufacturers don't use this on modern turbo engines. I understand SAAB back in the days, water injection was offered on the turbo.

I know Vernon Kay, ran a menthol injection on his S-Type R, but you never hear on any main stream manufacturers running the set ups.
I bet the menthol injection really improved the car's breathing.

s m

24,075 posts

224 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
The Spruce goose said:
Just wondered why production manufacturers don't use this on modern turbo engines. I understand SAAB back in the days, water injection was offered on the turbo.

I know Vernon Kay, ran a menthol injection on his S-Type R, but you never hear on any main stream manufacturers running the set ups.
Ford provided the necessary bits to homologate it in the Escort Cosworth boot IIRC

hairykrishna

14,289 posts

224 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
I always thought it was because the general motoring public couldn't be trusted to fill a water injection tank. A lot of them have enough trouble keeping an eye on the oil level and topping up the screenwash.

garycat

5,061 posts

231 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
Most manufacturers are moving towards direct-injection engines with 2000psi fuel injectors (e.g. Mazda DISI) in order to prevent detting, so the added complexity and plumbing for water injection really isn't necessary.


RobCrezz

7,892 posts

229 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
hairykrishna said:
I always thought it was because the general motoring public couldn't be trusted to fill a water injection tank. A lot of them have enough trouble keeping an eye on the oil level and topping up the screenwash.
This. Oldsmobile sold a turbo car that had a water/meth injection, but people would forget and break the engine.

J4CKO

45,382 posts

221 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
Don't certain factory editions of the Impreza have Water Injection ?

trickywoo

13,412 posts

251 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
Don't certain factory editions of the Impreza have Water Injection ?
No.

They did spray water on the outside of the intercooler though.

slinky

15,704 posts

270 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
Don't certain factory editions of the Impreza have Water Injection ?
I thought that was a water spray on the inter-warmer..

Overall it would be relatively easy to build a strategy into the EMS to handle a reduction in power if the meth/water tank was empty.. The majority of end users wouldn't want the hassle though..

Starfighter

5,304 posts

199 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
garycat said:
Most manufacturers are moving towards direct-injection engines with 2000psi fuel injectors (e.g. Mazda DISI) in order to prevent detting, so the added complexity and plumbing for water injection really isn't necessary.
You may want to check you units of measure on that - Try 2000bar (circa 30,000psi) being standard on common-rail diesel applications.

davepoth

29,395 posts

220 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
The Jolly Todger said:
I bet the menthol injection really improved the car's breathing.
biggrin

Cecil

337 posts

212 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
IIRC the Saab system, used the screen wash bottle, so it would trigger the usual dash light when low, + the washer bottles on the old Saabs held about a gallon.

Baryonyx

18,201 posts

180 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
Some cars have do manual water coolers. The Lancer Evolution 8 I test drove did, although that might have been a spray on the intercooler. IIRC the Toyota Celica GT4 ST205 had it on some models as well, and those models also had the plumbing for an anti-lag system that could be activated if you wanted it.

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

267 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
Water may be a decent idea at the right time in an engine, but it's a very bad idea at the wrong time. I have always suspected that "reliability" issues killed this technology.

Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

276 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
Starfighter said:
You may want to check you units of measure on that - Try 2000bar (circa 30,000psi) being standard on common-rail diesel applications.
You might want to check the application, gasoline direct injection doesn't use pressures anything like as high as diesel. Mazdas own website gives a maximum pressure of 11.5MPa, just under 1700psi.

maniac0796

1,292 posts

187 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
Starfighter said:
garycat said:
Most manufacturers are moving towards direct-injection engines with 2000psi fuel injectors (e.g. Mazda DISI) in order to prevent detting, so the added complexity and plumbing for water injection really isn't necessary.
You may want to check you units of measure on that - Try 2000bar (circa 30,000psi) being standard on common-rail diesel applications.
And you may want to note that gasoline direct engines don't need as high a pressure as diesel engines.

filski666

3,859 posts

213 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
Baryonyx said:
. IIRC the Toyota Celica GT4 ST205 had it on some models as well, and those models also had the plumbing for an anti-lag system that could be activated if you wanted it.
The homologation version of the ST205 - the WRC - does have anti lag, a spray system for the charge cooler radiator AND water injection into the inlet manifold.

None of it is activated, but I AM tempted to try and activate some of it on mine smile

NDT

1,766 posts

284 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
s m said:
Ford provided the necessary bits to homologate it in the Escort Cosworth boot IIRC
Really?
Aren't you thinking of the second set of injectors (fuel not water) on the Sierra RS500?

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

75 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
filski666 said:
The homologation version of the ST205 - the WRC - does have anti lag, a spray system for the charge cooler radiator AND water injection into the inlet manifold.

None of it is activated, but I AM tempted to try and activate some of it on mine smile
I understand WRC banned it directly into engine, that is why intercooler spray was used.

JWH

506 posts

285 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
The Spruce goose said:
I understand WRC banned it directly into engine, that is why intercooler spray was used.
I really do wish people would only comment on topics they actually understand.